She continued: “By having a firm which is well known for providing walking holidays supporting the festival, I have no doubt the popularity of the event will increase even further.”

The event is in its fifteenth year and is organised by the Isle of Wight Council. It is the biggest walking festival of its kind in the whole of Europe.

There are over 250 walks available in the programme, which are suitable for all ages, according to organisers. Last year’s event saw a total of 20,000 people taking part in the walks, with many revellers potentially taking up Isle of Wight accommodation during events.

The festival has been given numerous awards in the last few years, including The Beautiful South Awards fro Excellence 2010 for Tourism Best Event (Silver) and The CIPR Award for Best Event (Gold) in 2009.